TRAINING COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 121, 17 February 1944, Page 3

TRAINING COLLEGE

Living Accommodation For Students HOSTELS REQUIRED

The problem of finding living aecotnraodation for students at the Teachers Training College was discussed by the Wellington Education Board yesterday, when the principal of the college, Mr. it. Lopdell, and the womens warden. Miss 3J. J. Browne, attended and explained the present position. N ,. , The acting chairman, Mr. W. It. Nicol, -said that the board had been working strenuously for years to provide suitable accommodation, but without very mucj e-uceess. It had in view the building of the new training college at Karori, but that did not seem any nearer. Mr. Lopdell said that though the boardnig of students was not satisfactory, it was not much worse than it bad been in the past. At. the moment all the women students were in board and there were still a low places available. A few men in temporary positions bad still to find permanent board. , The present system of private board was unsatisfactory, and the only real solution was the establishment of hostels, not: only for training college students but also for other Government cadets. Such hostels properly staffed and with food prepared under the direction of a dietitian would meet modern conditions with a new conception of bon’ young people coining to the city should be looked after. The problem, said Mr. Lopdell, should be faced by the Government of the day. Miss Browne said that private; households could not be expected to undertake full supervision of the young people living with them, and this year, under war-conditions, some had not been willing to accept the responsibility of taking young girls. In private board proper supervision of diet was impossible and most households found it difficult to make ends meet on the amount the students were able to pay, though it was rarely less than 30/- a week. Because of the butter rationing and the high cost of living, luncheons this year were not being supplied in many cases, and that meant that the students just had buns and fruit. Ip some homes, and even at hostels, study facilities were inadequate and there had been cases where students had to go to bed to study on winter rights to keep warm. Bathing facilities were, also often inadequate. One hot bath a week was all 'that most students could expect, and sometimes they were lucky if they got that. Inadequate lighting and lack of facilities for drying clothes were other, problems. Ou the other hand, said Miss Browne, many sudents were being, excellently looked after in private homes, which ! were not being fully repaid monetarily for the service they were giving. In reply to Mr. L. Ji McDonald, who congratulated Mr. Lopdell and Miss Browne on their work in endeavouring to find suitable board for- the students, Mr. Lopdell said that where the student’s home life was not well organized there was loss of learning efficiency. Other dangers were undernourishment and failure to detect sickness in the early stages. Mr. C. E. 11. Ball said that the board was responsible as a parent to safeguard the morals and health of' students. He suggested that, till the Government could be successfully pressed to provide suitable hostel accommodation’, a small committee of the board should be set up to assist the training college authorities in looking after the welfare of students. “I can assure you that we will move heaven and earth to do something for the young people,’,’ said Mr. Nicol. It was decided to ask the Government to provide hostel accommodation and a committee was set up as suggested by Mr. Ball.